Two Keller ISD high school students who were asked to remove art on their parking spaces depicting former president Donald Trump are now being allowed to repaint them.
Keller High School administration had allegedly ordered the students to erase the artwork because it was “offensive or controversial.”
One student’s painted parking spot depicted Trump wearing an American flag bandana and sunglasses. The other student’s spot contained the numbers 45 and 47 in red, white, and blue—referencing his standing as the 45th president and potentially the 47th.
“Use only appropriate words, symbols, and images,” the district’s guidelines for student parking spaces read. “Spaces with inappropriate content will be painted over, confiscated, and re-sold.”
A reserved student parking space at Keller High School can cost up to nearly $200 and the students are allowed to paint it.
Keller ISD sent local news outlet WFAA a statement expressing that while political messaging is not explicitly prohibited in the guidelines for parking spaces, it is not allowed as it could cause “unnecessary distraction[s] to the learning environment.”
“Every year, a few students will attempt to include a political message, controversial statement, or inappropriate words or images in their parking spot painting,” Keller ISD wrote. “When that occurs, campus administrators allow them to repaint their space.”
In response, Keller school board president, Dr. Charles Randklev, took to his official Facebook account writing, “Let me be clear. There is nothing offensive or controversial about respectfully painting or honoring a current or former President of the United States of America.”
Keller Mayor Armin Mizani also stated support for the students on X, writing that any image of a former president is not inappropriate and offering to reimburse the artist for the cost of repainting.
“If we have the images of several former Presidents on U.S. currency, then surely the image of a President at a parking spot should be allowed,” Mizani wrote.
The school reversed its decision and the students will be reimbursed by KISD, according to Mizani.
“This is the right decision and I’m appreciative for the leadership from our KISD school board, admins, and Keller HS leadership, who quickly took corrective action once they learned of the situation,” wrote Mizani. “Also very proud of how our community rallied behind the students and their families. Simply put, there can be no compromise when our basic and foundational freedoms are at stake.”
He added that his position would have been “no different if a student wanted to paint a picture of a Democrat President or figure.”
